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Summary List of stories Phase I Day: Honor, Duty, And Family << chapter 35 Chapter 36 of 75 Authorial Arrogance chapter 37 >> << previous scene Scene 1 of 2 next scene >> Location Participants Time Summary Prologue | Phase I | Phase II | Epilogue 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 31 | 32 | 33 | 34 | 35 | 36 | 37 | 38 | 39 | 40 | 41 | 42 | 43 | 44 | 45 46 | 47 | 48 | 49 | 50 | 51 | 52 | 53 | 54 | 55 | 56 | 57 | 58 | 59 | 60 61 | 62 | 63 | 64 | 65 | 66 | 67 | 68 | 69 | 70 | 71 | 72 | 73 | 74 | 75 Text There was silence for a few moments as Luna breathed hard, looking across at the wall of brambles and trees as Scrivener Blooms stood ready on one side of her and Discombobulation crossed his arms moodily on the other. For a few moments, there was only quiet... and finally, the brambles twisted out of the way as the trees rumbled and straightened, bending upward as their dead branches slowly withdrew. It left the path clear and the archway beyond unguarded, and Luna smiled grimly as she strode forwards, Scrivener and Discombobulation behind her. They passed through the archway and strode out into a circular field beyond. Ancient ruins of old architecture dotted the edges of the area, like this had once been some sacred ground, or some beautiful temple that had long been reclaimed by the land. Immense, golden-brown roots ran through the ground like massive veins all around the edges of the field, and beyond, seemed to drape off a sharp cliff and into the depths of a crater filled with thick, boiling fog. And in the center of the meadow sat three figures around a simple, circular stone well. Two sat on one ancient, petrified log, and the last rested back on a large, flat stone by herself, the three Norns gazing calmly off in different directions before the Norn that sat alone said coldly: "Brynhild." Luna gritted her teeth but forced herself to stay calm as she looked towards her first: Skuld, her features hidden by a heavy cowl, leaving only the faintest gleam of pallid skin visible. A long, heavy cape fell over her shoulders and spilled out behind her, and her legs were primly crossed beneath a long skirt of chain mesh and golden drapery. A silver breastplate protected her body, and more mesh and gold cloth spilled along her arms to dexterous hands that were slowly polishing a silver sword. Things Luna found somehow offensive: this Watcher of the Future, wearing the costume of a warrior. "We have been expecting you." The Norn that spoke was clad in a thick golden dress, with a thinner, second layer overtop of white, feathery material. This was secured by several large, golden brooches and ornamental fasteners, and was cinched tight around her waist by a metallic belt. Decorative tassels and thin, gleaming braids of chain hung from the clasps, glittering with bright gemstones here and there that glowed like eyes. Her hands were uncovered, holding an needle and thread in yellow, dexterous digits tipped with sharp black talons, and flaxen, golden hair spilled down a golden-painted mask that locked over her features. Her eyes gazed coldly out from the slits cut in this, and Scrivener couldn't help but shiver at the sight of it: the mask was held on by several large bands of iron that formed a cap over the Norn's skull, and made it look as if it had been bolted over her features. She was Verdandi, Witness of the Present. The last Norn chuckled quietly: her clothing was much more elegant and decorative, heavy black cloth edged in gold, a crimson shawl wrapped tightly around her neck and a hood held tightly down onto her head by a coronet made from polished, twisted-together bull horns. A golden amulet gleamed around her neck, and a black veil concealed most of her face from view, leaving only her eyes and the wrinkled, ancient and mottled skin around them visible. Metal, clawed gauntlets covered her hands, and she was easily using these to cut complex shapes into the wooden, cone-shaped staff in her hand. Urd, Beholder of the Past. The three Fates: Luna gritted her teeth, fear and anxiety both mixing together with the faintest whisper of fear before Urd looked up from her work, whispering: "And what you've lived through, young child... it is impressive. I do not hate you, little one, as much as my sisters do... but I behold what has already happened. I know all your history, oh yes... and while I do not approve of it, I can see that you are... a useful ally to have." "I see the present. I see across from me a child, a fool, and a failure." Verdandi said coldly, and Luna snarled, beginning to step forwards before the Norn calmly put her thread aside and reached easily down, picking up a half-woven tapestry inside a wooden frame, and Luna froze in surprise at the sight of the image of herself half-completed over the fabric. "Do not be foolish, Brynhild. I know how you work. I know exactly what you're doing. I know exactly what you're planning and thinking." "And I gaze into the future. I know what you're about to do. I know how all stories end, I know the truth before it even becomes truth." Skuld said coldly, leaning forwards before she rose her silver sword, pointing it towards Luna as she seemed to smile cruelly beneath her hood. "I'll give you a taste of the future. You are nothing but a pawn. And nothing you do, no attempt you make to fight fate matters." "Shush now, Skuld." chided Urd, and Skuld grumbled as she fell quiet, before the eldest Norn looked calmly towards the three, surveying them thoughtfully as Luna growled under her breath. "We have called you here for a reason, little one. We knew you would reach us... just as we knew the chaos beast would as well." "Yes, I'm sure that's precisely why you tried to drop a bomb on me." Discombobulation muttered, and then he winced when Urd pointed the staff she was carving at him, the Draconequus flinching away. "Now now, Ginnungagap acolyte, just as you are unable to do anything but follow the flow of your instincts and do as Fate decrees, so are we." Urd replied almost kindly, but there was again that sense of patronization, made all the worse by the complacency, the arrogance of her body language. Then she glanced calmly down at the rune-covered staff, saying softly: "That is why we brought you here. So you may understand that no matter what you do... no matter what you know... you cannot change your fate." Luna snorted at this, as Scrivener shook his head slowly, before Verdandi added disgustedly: "Even with your struggling, even with how you dared to try and change what Fate has in store for you both, and on more than one occasion. Even with Odin's interferences and distortions, you cannot affect your destiny. The story's ending is written first, and that ending is always death, that ending is always defeat and failure." Skuld snorted at this, adding moodily: "Everything moves according to laws and rules. Everything is decided from the moment you are born, and all we do is record these rules, these laws, these pre-written endings. You are all nothing more than masses of biology and energy interacting in an environment that must always follow certain dedicated rules and norms. How could you not see that the outcome is already decided? How can you disagree? I see your future now, Brynhild, you are going to attempt to argue, you are going to attempt to fight, and you are going to find your way into a world of clanking gears and machinery... and you are going to die there, along with Scrivener Blooms. This is unavoidable." Luna snorted, closing her eyes as Scrivener shook his head and Discombobulation stayed silent. Then Verdandi looked evenly up and across at Luna, her eyes glinting as she calmly answered before the winged unicorn could even form the question: "No. You have never truly defied us. You have never truly 'changed' your story: all you did was sloppily merge the lesser mortal's into your own, turning two texts into one. One that should have ended long ago." "There's always another story." Discombobulation said quietly, and then he smiled a little as he studied the Norns silently. "That's what you don't like, isn't it? That there is no end; that even if there is such thing as Fate, you're still only slaves; slaves to your own machines, chained down by your own laws and rules, unable to do anything but sit back and record what's going on in the wide, wide world out there, where whether bound by laws or not, people are still free, as free to be you and me as we like to be, oh, all in that wide-" In a moment, Skuld was on her feet and across the field, and Discombobulation gasped, leaning forwards as his eyes bulged, the Norn's sword buried up to the hilt in his stomach as she whispered quietly: "Be silent, patchwork doll. Do not press your luck: your death may be set years from now, but there is nothing declaring you reach your death-day in one piece." Luna snarled, leaping forwards, but Skuld tore the sword back and flicked it hard to the side as she shoved the Draconequus onto his back, splattering Discombobulation's blood over the winged unicorn's features and blinding her before Skuld slammed the pommel of the sword down into Luna's skull, knocking her flat. Scrivener Blooms staggered in mid-lunge, and the Norn was able to easily turn, slapping him across the face with the flat of the blade before she brought the weapon back for a deadly thrust, but Urd said sharply: "No, Skuld. It is not time yet." Skuld trembled, then she sighed in disgust and shook her head, looking down at them with distaste. Discombobulation was bleeding from the mouth and the hole that had pierced through his stomach and out his back, covering the wound tightly; Luna was laying on the ground, stunned and stupefied and disgusted with both herself and the Norns; Scrivener was on his side, a large smear of blood over his face. For a moment, the Norn surveyed them... then she flicked her weapon, splattering droplets of Draconequus blood over Luna in a gesture of contempt before turning her back on the three and striding back to her stone. She sat down as Luna picked herself up and turned her eyes to Discombobulation, but he only held up his talon and shook his head. Luna nodded after a moment, then she instead turned her gaze back to the Norns, gritting her teeth before she asked coldly: "Would thou like to test thy mettle against me in proper combat, coward?" "We don't fight yet. Not for at least a few years, then we'll settle things, Brynhild." Skuld replied contemptibly, and then she smiled cruelly, tilting her head back slightly as she added darkly: "After you've earned a little more bitterness. After you've begun to lose everything that's ever mattered to you. After you start to truly suffer." Luna fought hard not to take the bait, before Verdandi added coldly: "That's right. Today, we invited you here to tell you the truth about yourself. That you've been living a lie your whole life, playing with these lower life forms, submitting yourself to their rules and laws. And to warn you to stay out of the way of Valthrudnir's remaining machinations. Oh, we know you won't... but we are compelled to do as we must, just as you are." "Valthrudnir was not supposed to die when you and Scrivener Blooms attempted to kill him, you see." Urd said softly, and Luna looked sharply up at these words as Scrivener Blooms stared in disbelief, feeling a chill run down his spine before the veiled Fate looked up and seemed to smile knowingly with her ancient eyes. "So he didn't. Because that was not the time we had written. That was not the ending we had given him." "Impossible!" Luna snapped, and then she snarled, shaking her head violently. "I saw the monster die with mine own eyes! Scrivener Blooms bested the fool at his own game and not even a Jötnar could survive my horn through his damnable eye! Why, the echo of the creature itself-" "Physical death is nothing." Verdandi said distastefully, flicking a wrist dismissively before she rolled her head slowly on her shoulders. "Valthrudnir lives on. And at this very moment in time, he plots his revenge... he plots a way to destroy you, and then destroy these worlds and layers. He will be destroyed and swallowed up by his own machinations, and at this very moment, he is moving forwards..." "But he is no longer safe from us. Ymir's charm is lost, and the destruction of his body was a devastating blow. He lives on, in a way, oh yes..." Urd said softly, putting the rune-covered staff aside to pick up a new, blank piece of wood, and she smiled as she slowly began to carve along this, saying softly: "A child was just born somewhere." "A child who will die of leukemia in four years' time." Skuld said with a snort, and then the cloaked Norn looked over at Luna, asking icily: "Would you like to know how you die, Brynhild? It is at Valthrudnir's claws. He will have his revenge upon you. You and Scrivener Blooms both... and you will experience death twice, because of your pathetic soul-link, and neither time will be easy nor fast. I only regret it will not be at my blade." Luna snarled, looking furious, desperate, her emotions rampaging as Discombobulation stared over at the Fates blankly and Scrivener clenched his eyes shut, trying to keep both himself and Luna calm as shivers raced through his body. Of fear, of hate, of disbelief, of so many things and so many emotions as he breathed hard in and out before he looked up, unable to stop himself from whispering as a twist of anger spilled through him: "You're wrong." The Norns only laughed quietly, looking up at him with entertainment before Urd said gently: "Don't be silly, child. So many have told us that in the past, from lowliest mortal to greatest of god, and we have never been wrong. Yes, our stories have been interfered with, endings have... been interpreted differently than anticipated... but we are absolute. None can stand against us, and the ending we write is the ending that is given. "You think us cruel for bringing you here, seemingly simply with the intent of mocking you? Not at all: we are trying to warn you. We are trying to show you that there are things to which you must always bow your head, no matter what." Urd chided quietly. "Besides, you have earned our contempt and anger, have you not? Look at yourselves: Luna Brynhild, a reincarnate who replaced the Luna that should have been in that layer of reality. A blasphemy, like removing the pages of a book and replacing them with another story. And then, further twisting and confusing her story, she linked herself to you... and it just had to be you, didn't it, Scrivener Blooms? That is not what the original story said, after all..." Scrivener frowned slowly at this as Luna leaned forwards, before Urd smiled as she put the half-carved staff aside and calmly made a simple beckoning gesture with one finger. And a moment later, another staff of ash calmly rose from the ground in front of her, this one cracked and glowing strangely in places before Luna's eyes widened as she whispered: "That is..." "We write your stories upon these staves, which shatter and decay when the ending is finally reached." Urd replied softly, gesturing over the charred and cracked and warped staff. "Yours is ugly. Like your story. Distorted, reckless, worthless, and damaged, and filled with inconsistencies and plot holes. Originally, it was a happy story... now it is not." Verdandi smiled coldly, saying softly: "Your true love is thinking about you right now. Missing you. You made a mistake, Brynhild, you made a wrong choice. You weren't supposed to end up with Scrivener Blooms, and even less were you supposed to try and merge yet another pony's story with your own... your greed eclipses Valthrudnir's and disgusts us. At least he is doing us a favor." "A favor, yes." Skuld said calmly, before Luna could even come up with a response as horror filled her eyes. "He's destroying unnecessary worlds. Getting rid of all the unnecessary stories. Wiping the grime away from the perfection the universe once followed: Fates above all, no reincarnations, no lies, no 'soulmates,' no false stories... like Scrivener Blooms." Scrivener felt a shiver at this, as Verdandi mocked quietly: "Special, you call yourself, because you can resist the evil of a Tyrant Wyrm... is that truly special? Or is that cursed and damned and hideous? Because in your head swims Valthrudnir's corruption... and just like Brynhild, a Valkyrie, whore-puppet to Odin... you are nothing but a toy yourself, Scrivener Blooms. Fruit of the poisonous tree: you are Valthrudnir's greatest weapon against his greatest threat, your false love. You are nothing but an abomination that slithered its way into the story of another pony. You resist corruption... because you are a corrupted life." Scrivener stared and shook his head, shaking his head weakly, breathing hard as Luna trembled and looked over at him, then snarled and looked ahead, whispering: "No. I shan't listen to thee. Odin warned us that thy words are poison... thou art speaking in nonsense to confuse us, to try and turn us against each other, but damnation, I would... I love Scrivener Blooms, more than anything in the world! May the world be damned to Helheim for all I care, as long as I have him... as long as we have each other. Oh aye, I adore Twilight Sparkle, love her even... but she is not my soulmate. Scrivener Blooms is, and I shall not permit thee to attempt to spread jealousy and poison into my family." "Scrivener Blooms is nothing but a shadow that Valthrudnir eagerly seized into during the farce of a card game. That his echo penetrated. But what if it was all a ruse? What if it was all a game?" mocked Skuld, and her teeth flashed beneath her hood in a wide, cruel grin. "Scrivener Blooms, don't you dream of Valthrudnir more often than you dream of Brynhild?" "Scrivener Blooms is not a Horcrux." Discombobulation muttered, and the Norns looked displeased as the Draconequus slowly sat up, breathing quietly and closing his eyes as he murmured: "So this is what Gymbr meant when he said 'beware of cawing crows.' I suppose you three will say anything to get what you want, won't you?" The Norns were silent, and the Draconequus smiled wryly as he looked up, Luna and Scrivener both shaking off some of their fear, their anger, their pain, before Scrivener straightened and asked in a roughened voice: "What did you mean when you said I was a corrupted life?" "Rarely, mortals are born and we... are caught... unprepared." Urd said calmly, leaning forwards with an almost kind look, but there was again that arrogance, that sense of being gazed down upon with condescending superiority. "We misplace them in one way or another... and we end up not giving them a story. Oh, yes, we can still determine how they will die, and if we so desire, we can insert events into their life to hasten their death or affect them in what ways we please, but usually we simply write these 'lost children' a quick death at the end of a short life and allow their stories to play out as they will. "However, they sometimes... begin affecting the already-written stories of others. As you did with Brynhild: her story was already written, but... you began to spend more and more time together. You changed her story: instead of her journeying alone, you followed her. And on the day of your death, Brynhild bound her soul with yours. And thus her staff, her story... was corrupted." Urd gestured gently at the ugly, cracked and warped staff, and Scrivener and Luna both stared at this before Discombobulation slowly crawled up to his feet, removing his hand from the wound that had healed already down to an ugly line before he asked distastefully: "Oh, so the reason you hate him is because you misplaced all the receipts and bills, so now you expect him to pay up the price you've randomly determined is fair and do all the work filing his tax forms all over again because of your petty mistake. Yes, that sounds perfectly fair." "Are you asking me to put another hole in you, patchwork doll?" asked Skuld sharply, and Discombobulation winced and stumbled backwards a step before she added coldly: "And it changes nothing. Yes, his existence has caused... unexpected effects. But his death came and went, just as we saw. Just as Brynhild's will, too. All we're saying is that he is a flaw that should have been rooted out, and that if anything, you should hate him, Brynhild. Without him in your life, you would have been much happier." "Does this have any impact on anything at all apart from your own pride? Or is this all just setup for us to understand why you hate Luna and Scrivener Blooms so much?" asked Discombobulation curiously, and then he winced and held up his hands in a gesture of surrender when Skuld leapt to her feet. "Point taken and received, no pun intended. But Gymbr says-" Verdandi held up a hand, and Discombobulation's jaws snapped shut as he winced and grabbed at his features before the Norn said coldly: "Do not mock us, Ginnungagap beast. Hold palaver as often as you like with your own kind but do not expect us to be interested in hearing what you or others like you have to say. Ever." The Draconequus grimaced, and then Luna leaned forwards, asking sharply: "And of what does thou know of this Gymbr? Is he-" "He is a creation of Valthrudnir's." Urd lied calmly, and Scrivener couldn't help but marvel even through his confusion, fury, and frustration at how glibly and easily the Norn told the flat-out untruth. "But surely you've figured that out by now, haven't you?" "The mockery is a nice touch, yes, but it's still pretty clear you're lying. It helps that the one thing we are sure of is that Gymbr isn't from Valthrudnir." Scrivener replied quietly, and somehow it made him feel better, calmer, even as the eyes of the Norns all turned coldly towards him. "Funny. We thought he came from you." "Very well. He is the ultimate end of one of Valthrudnir's creations." Urd said in a colder voice, and then she paused before leaning forwards and flicking her hand to make the ominous-looking staff vanish from where it was still floating, the oldest of the Norns looking calmly into the space where it had been moments ago before she dded quietly: "And you shouldn't talk to us like that, mortal. If Brynhild didn't have her spear, we wouldn't even believe she was anything but a mortal herself... but unfortunately, it is proof she was a Valkyrie, and it denies us the right to put her and her companions through further tests... however we might... disapprove." "Rules, rules, rules." Luna mocked, looking disgusted before she shook her head slowly and asked distastefully: "Tell me, did thou write the rules for thyselves as well? Or did thou write rules for one-another, leaving in secrets and clauses to better put thyselves in the advantage should past, present, and future all collide?" "You cannot divide us or turn us on one-another, Brynhild. We have nothing to gain from it." Urd said with false pleasantness, and then she added quietly: "And I see now that it is long past the time you were welcome to stay." "So allow me to summarize for you." Verdandi stood and stepped forwards, crossing her arms and narrowing her eyes from behind her mask. "Stay out of Valthrudnir's way. He is very much alive and very eager to destroy you. Consider your options and one-another: you are not the story that was meant to be told. And Fate is unstoppable, but that does not mean we need to be enemies. Submit to us, listen to our wishes, and perhaps we can alter your destiny: let Valthrudnir purge the realms, and we will clean what remains, and you and Scrivener Blooms will be free to destroy Valthrudnir." "How generous, telling us we may kill our enemy after he has won. And I expect that even if we did, Valthrudnir would kill us at the same time we kill him, aye?" Luna asked disgustedly, and Verdandi only gave a snort. Skuld, lastly, looked calmly up, saying coldly: "That was a gift, telling you your end. You should thank us for it." She paused, then said softly: "You should thank us for much. Look at how much we have told you and shared with you, a corrupted reincarnation and a life that never should have lived, and worst of all the patchwork doll that thinks itself above all the rules." "This has been a pointless and fruitless expedition. All it has confirmed is that thou art our enemies. And know this, Norns... even if thou art the Fates, if thou interferes in any way, aids Valthrudnir, or attempt to do harm against myself, my husband, or any of my family..." Luna narrowed her eyes, leaning forwards coldly. "I shall kill all of thee. Consider this not just warning, but mercy and quarter: for as far as I am concerned, thou all deserve to perish anyway for the sick games thy kind plays with us." Urd only smiled calmly, however, then she stood slowly, saying softly: "Very well, if you would accuse us in childishness of being inhospitable, even after all the help we have attempted to provide... you may drink from this well. It will give you a taste of exactly what you have always desired, no matter what it is." Scrivener and Luna traded uneasy looks at this... and then the winged unicorn nodded slowly to the earth pony stallion, and they both silently turned their heads forwards as Luna said fearlessly: "Then I shall accept thy offer, if only because I do not think thou art such great cowards thou would stoop to poisoning myself and my husband." "That would be foolish, to poison what is already poisoned." Urd replied in her too-gentle, mocking voice, and Scrivener and Luna both looked at her with the same silent grimace for a moment before the earth pony stepped quietly ahead, the winged unicorn smiling faintly at him even as Urd said softly: "Yes, that makes sense, considering your past. Always longing for more... a mark of a corrupter. Your hunger never ceases, does it?" Scrivener didn't reply as he leaned forwards over the well, gazing down into it silently: it looked like normal water, in a normal well. For a few moments, he hesitated, gazing up at the sky overhead, then out at Yggdrasil in the distance where it stood, gargantuan and enormous and reaching high into the clouds above, base shrouded by the heavy mist... and he couldn't help but ask quietly: "Did Ymir really plant that?" "That's none of your business." Verdandi said shortly, and Scrivener glanced towards her as Urd remained silent before he turned his eyes back to the well, hearing what the Norns weren't saying as Skuld glared at him. They don't know. Maybe they're not as omniscient as they like to think they are... Slowly, he leaned downwards, taking a deep, long drink of the water... and when nothing happened and he wasn't yanked away, he took another swallow of the liquid. It felt good in his parched throat and it soothed his anxiety-twisted stomach, it made him relax and calm as he drank deeper of the waters... then finally drew back with a sigh, rubbing slowly at his lips before he turned around and walked away. Nothing continued to happen, and Scrivener snorted in amusement as he turned around, sitting down beside Luna and glancing at her as he shrugged a little, before softening as his eyes drew over her: gorgeous, strong, dependable, always ready to help him... "Maybe it didn't work because I already have everything I could ever need." Luna smiled softly at him, and the Norns remained silent as the winged unicorn strode forwards next. She leaned up over the well, then bowed down fearlessly, drinking deep from the water before sighing loudly and arching her back... and then her eyes slowly widened as she stared up at the sky, seeing not blue, but black, starry night, as Nightmare Moon writhed and shivered inside of her. Visions played through her mind, and Luna flexed as she leaned down over the well, gasping quietly and gritting her teeth as Scrivener began towards her... but then he stumbled and simply fell forwards, groaning as a twist of pain went through his head and strange, alien sights flashed in front of his eyes. Discombobulation winced, then gritted his teeth when Verdandi seized Luna by her sparking, ephemeral mane and threw her backwards; before the Draconequus could even step towards them, Skuld was in front of him, edge of her sword shoving up against his throat as she said softly: "Being hard to kill is not always an advantage, patchwork doll. I don't think you would enjoy how long it might take me to cut you apart." "You ladies are real nasty pieces of work. Like Charlie's Angels gone to Helheim." Discombobulation rasped, leaning awkwardly back with a wince as he slowly held up his hands. "And all your rules... we Ginnungagap types aren't very fond of rules, you know. So I was thinking I'd just take my friends and leave..." "But it's so interesting to watch Brynhild and Scrivener Blooms trying to struggle against not only us, but even themselves, despite the fact we have been so generous as to offer them a kindness." Urd replied softly, before she frowned when Verdandi's eyes widened in surprise and she stumbled backwards, shaking her head in disbelieving denial. "Sister, what is-" Then a second Discombobulation appeared in a puff of neon smoke, reaching down to quickly seize Scrivener and Luna before he simply vanished from the spot with them, and Skuld snarled over her shoulder before looking back at the still calmly-standing Discombobulation in front of her. It simply rose a hand and waved once, and then Skuld slashed viciously through it... only for the illusion to explode in a blast of light and fireworks that knocked her sprawling and covered the Norns in a cloud of dust and smoke. Discombobulation reappeared a moment later on the walkway in front of the tunnel entrance leading to the Norns, his body pale as he dropped to his knees with a rasp at the effort it had taken as he leaned forwards, then winced as he grasped at his stomach, pulling his hand away and finding it bloody before he mumbled: "Excuse me, we're in Heaven, so I could really use a deus ex machina right now... and I really, really don't think that's too much to ask..." Slowly, he looked back and forth at Luna and Scrivener, then the Draconequus carefully dragged himself back to a sitting position before he stared stupidly up as an irritable voice asked: "Oh, look at what we have here." "Not what I meant." Discombobulation mumbled as he looked moodily over at a unicorn that was calmly striding towards them on his rear legs, smooth, metallic black hands laced together in front of his waist, a casual purple dress jacket and silk shirt over his upper body. The god looked over the three meditatively, seeming undisturbed by the condition they were all in before the Draconequus asked sourly: "Why do you look like that?" "Because you do not wish to see my actual body. It is... unpleasant." Kvasir replied distastefully, looking moodily down at one of his black metal hands as he absently wiggled the digits. "All I truly care about is having these. Hooves are useless." Luna mumbled weakly as if trying to respond to this even in her insensate state, and Kvasir sighed as he looked down at the still mostly-unconscious ponies before his eyes roved moodily up over Discombobulation, surveying the Draconequus thoughtfully as the chaos entity looked grouchily back at the god. For a few moments, there was only silence between them... and finally, Kvasir turned around and shook his head as he began to stride back towards Valhalla, saying irritably even as there was perhaps the faintest flicker of concern in his eyes: "Wait there. I'll fetch Odin, he is not far... I was merely trying to find a place where I could safely avoid him but apparently I must first play hero to a patchwork doll, and a former Valkyrie and her gigolo." "So considerate. I think I'll just die of gratitude now." Discombobulation muttered, and then the Draconequus flopped forwards onto his face between Scrivener and Luna, still clutching at the aching, ripped-open wound in his stomach as the color slowly continued to fade from his body. "Not even... anyone around to hear any final words I might have to say..." Slowly, Discombobulation's eyes closed as Scrivener and Luna both shivered on either side of him... and the Draconequus couldn't help but smile wryly as he shivered once on the bridge, taking a twisted pleasure even as he spiraled into darkness that if he did die, at least it would prove the Norns wrong. Category:Transcript Category:Story